Best Vacuum Cleaners with Retractable Cord

Vacuuming is one of those household chores that can be either tedious and frustrating or simple and stress-free depending on the machine you use. There are endless new and improved technological advances coming into play each year, and soon vacuum cleaners will be able to do just about everything other than cook you dinner!

Despite all the fancy, modern tech, for many of us, the good old fashioned plug-in upright vacuum (with a few upgrades, of course!) is what we know and are comfortable with. Luckily, wanting a classic model doesn’t mean sacrificing ease of use. Most big-name brands are modifying and upgrading simple features on their most popular designs to eliminate as many of the little annoyances associated with vacuuming as possible.

One of the most tedious parts of vacuuming is wrapping the cord back up when you finish. The average vacuum cord is around 30ft long and can take a good bit of time to neatly and properly wind back up. This is where a retractable cord comes in.

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What is a retractable cord, and why is it useful?
A retractable cord can be wound up perfectly in a matter of seconds at the touch of a button. Simply unplug the vacuum when you finish, make sure the wire isn’t caught somewhere or wrapped around any stray objects, then push the button and the job is done. Retractable cords are perfect for people who are tired of hand wrapping the power cable after an already long job, but who don’t want to buy a cordless vacuum.

Cordless vacuums have their benefits, of course, but for large households with lots of space to cover, many consumers find the battery life is not enough and prefer to have a constant supply of power to the machine. This happy medium means no compromise on power, and no tedious clear up after. It also is a space saver as most retractable cords are stored inside the machine’s casing, rather than folded bulkily on the side.

It is worth noting, there is no difference between the retractable cord and normal cord vacuums in performance or any other features; a retractable cord simply makes packing away your vacuum quicker and easier.

What are the best vacuum cleaners with retractable cords on the market today?

In this brief review, we will look at six of the top options available to buy now. All of these models come with retractable cords and are considered the best of their kind.

Bissell Cleanview 2252 Swivel Rewind Pet Vacuum

PROS
Triple action brush roll: The Cleanview 2252 uses edge-to-edge, anti-scatter technology to give the highest level of cleaning on any surface or carpet. It is powerful enough to deep clean a carpet and can easily pick up the maximum amount of debris from a hard floor.

Extendable reach: This machine is great for cleaning those tricky, out the way spots, especially ones too high to reach normally. The extension feature enables you to clean easily without having to balance on a chair and endanger yourself.

Washable filter: Being able to wash your vacuum’s filter helps extend its life and keep the filtration level at its best; able to catch the smallest specks of dirt.

Easy to use: The Cleanview 2252 is lightweight and easy to move around your home. The intuitive swivel steering with practical user-friendly handles makes maneuvering around furniture and corners smooth and trouble-free. If you have a large area to cover and usually spend a significant amount of time vacuuming, you will feel the difference in your back and arms with this machine.

Affordable: This is one of Bissell’s lower priced vacuums so is great if you want good quality on a tight budget.

CONS
Noisy: This is a powerful vacuum, but it likes to shout about it! The noise of the motor is quite something, especially if the pipe gets clogged.

Prone to clogging after a while: After a few months of use, clogging can start to happen now and again. It’s manageable and with a bit of maintenance can be reduced, but it’s an inconvenience if it happens when you have a lot of cleaning to do.

Filters are tricky to replace: While the washable filter feature is a plus, replacing them isn’t straightforward and you may end up needing to call in assistance if you are not a handy ‘DIY’ type.

Delicate steering: The steering system is excellent but delicate. It is imperative to treat it with care to avoid damaging it and losing out on all the value it adds to this machine.

Summary
Overall, the Cleanview 2252 Swivel Rewind Pet Vacuum offers a lot of great features for a very good price. It’s very easy to use but not the most robust machine out there. This model would be good for someone who has a small space to clean regularly but struggles to use a standard upright vacuum. Someone with heavy-duty vacuuming to do on a large scale would be better with a hardier design.

Miele Complete C2 Hard-Floor Canister Vacuum

PROS
Reliable: Miele’s reputation as a brand is beyond reproach, so any product you buy from them is sure to be hardy, long-lasting, and of excellent quality.

Powerful motor with adjustable suction: The suction on this vacuum is excellent, with the added bonus of being designed to keep the noise at a reasonable level without compromising on power. This model features an adjustable dial with six levels of suction force depending on what surface you need to clean.

Performs well on any surface: Don’t let the name fool you; this vacuum can and should be used on any surface and will do a great job with all kinds of debris. The Parquet Twister Floor Brush with 180-degree rotation maximizes cleaning capabilities but with soft-touch technology will keep even the surfaces most prone to scratching protected.

Clean Air Filter: Most vacuums release air back into the environment which can irritate your eyes and throat or aggravate allergies. Miele’s Complete C2 model has a built-in air purifying filter to clean the air before it is released which is beneficial for your health, particularly if you suffer from asthma or something similar.

Telescopic Wand: Included is an adjustable extension wand for cleaning high or hard to reach areas. The entire wand is made from stainless steel and is designed to provide gentle contact with surfaces to avoid damage.

Easy to maneuver: The three-point turning feature combined with lightweight, easy steer handles, and a parking lock make the Complete C2 Hard-Floor Canister Vacuum easy to handle and move around the room.

CONS
This brand is pricey: With top-tier quality comes top-tier prices, and Miele is one of the most expensive brands in the market right now.

Not easy to clean if clogging happens: The durability of this brand means clogging is likely to happen far less often than with some other models, but if and when it does happen, they are not designed for easy cleaning.

Perhaps one setting too many: The range of settings and features make this vacuum cleaner one of the most versatile and efficient on this list, but some consumers feel the different options are more confusing than they need to be.

Summary
If you have the money to spend, Miele is a hard brand to compete with. There aren’t many negatives involved with the Miele Complete C2 Hard Floor Canister Vacuum, but it’s possible to find other machines that do what you need them to for a much lower price.

Kenmore 22614 Pet Friendly Lightweight Vacuum

PROS
Perfect for homes with pets: This vacuum is designed specifically to pick up 99.99% of the dust and allergens commonly found in homes where pets are part of the furniture (and like to sit on the furniture!) and comes with a Pet Powermate attachment to stop hairs tangling in the brush roll.

HEPA Filter: Vacuums with sealed air systems are incredibly beneficial to your health and the environment. Without an air filter, dirty air will seep from the chamber and let out all those allergens you just cleaned. HEPA filters are considered top of the range.

Extremely well designed: Everything about the way this machine is built is just clever. It runs on dual motors for extra suction power, has ergonomic steering for easy control, includes a 9ft telescopic wand attachment for maximum range and the canister is a thing of beauty. The canister is clear so you can see how full it is and can empty it before and trouble starts. It’s also easy to remove, clean, and fit back into place. The best thing about the design of this vacuum is that if you empty and clean out the canister according to the instructions and properly care for the machine in general, it will seldom get clogged.

Compact and easy to store: The body of the Kenmore 22614 is quite small and all the attachments fit into the casing, meaning it packs away neatly and can be stored without bother.

CONS
Not as lightweight as the name suggests: This is still a reasonably light vacuum cleaner, but there are much lighter machines out there.

Replacing damaged parts is complicated: When properly cared for, this model will last a long time, but if something does go wrong, the parts are not easy to change. Unless you are very confident in your abilities, you will need to pay for a technician to help you.

More expensive than some similar vacuums: Kenmore is a massive name in homeware and appliances so a higher price point should not be unexpected. This is by no means the most expensive model out there; nor the most expensive on this list, but it does cost more than some comparative models.

Summary
For pet owners, the Kenmore 22614 Pet Friendly Lightweight Vacuum should be seriously considered for its anti-allergen filter and hair clearing capabilities. It is great for small spaces and for someone looking for one multipurpose machine to cover all their vacuuming needs. It doesn’t fall into the ‘budget’ category, but the quality may be worth the stretch for those who can.

Hoover WindTunnel 2 Rewind Upright Vacuum

PROS
Affordable: Considering how massive a brand name ‘Hoover’ is, the WindTunnel 2 is surprisingly affordable. It’s not the cheapest model on this list but the price tag is surprisingly low for Hoover.

Multi-function brush roll: The adaptable brush roll attached to this machine makes cleaning any surface easy. I can collect dirt from hard floors without scattering and will adjust to pull hairs or other debris from carpets.

Useful attachments: For pet owners, the Pet Turbo attachment makes all the difference to your brush roll and stops hair tangling and disrupting the flow. The crevice tool is a must have for getting into those tricky corners and edges.

Excellent extension tool: The extension that gives this machine its name is the WindTunnel 16ft wand. If you have high ceilings, this is perfect and will completely change the way you clean them.

Odor absorption: A lot of vacuums clean dirt but leave lingering smells, but not this one. With special anti-odor technology, this machine covers all the bases.

CONS
Loss of suction: Some consumers report noticing the suction power starting to gradually reduce after several months of using the vacuum.

Clogged pipes: When the hose pipe gets clogged, it sounds terrible and can be time-consuming to fix; not what you want mid-clean! After a while, the pipe on this machine becomes more prone to clogging.

Doesn’t pick up hair in the corners: Although the brush roll works excellently to clear hair, the same cannot be said for the crevice tool. It corners and edges, you might need to have a second look over to make sure the hair has been properly removed.

Summary
The Hoover brand name is synonymous with vacuuming and is considered an industry giant worldwide. The quality of the WindTunnel 2 Rewind Upright Vacuum is not in question; however, the longevity of that quality is. For someone who likes to vacuum their ceilings but has trouble doing so, this machine is perfect. If you want a good quality machine that will perform well when you need it to but don’t have a huge amount of vacuuming required, this is a great option keeping within a reasonable budget. If you go through an impressive amount of vacuuming regularly and have a lot of hair and bigger debris to pick up, you might want to consider a machine known to be a bit more durable.

Bissell Cleanview Rewind Deluxe Upright Vacuum

PROS
The price: If the value for money is what you are looking for, you won’t find much better than this. This machine manages to maintain excellent performance and functionality for an extended length of time while fitting into the budget vacuum category.

Good cord length: At 27ft, the Bissell Cleanview Deluxe has a longer cord than most vacuums on this list, making it easy to move around a big room without having to unplug and change to a new socket.

Noise levels: Vacuuming is never silent, but this model keeps noise to a minimum which is perfect if you have neighbors close by.

Great cleaning capability: Bissell has gone all-out when designing this model. The triple action brush roll combines edge-to-edge suction, scatter-free motion, and powerful air force to achieve maximum cleanliness after the first run over.

Filter air system: The Deluxe has a sealed and filtered system to minimize dirty air and allergens being released back into the environment while you clean. This is essential for anyone with asthma or allergies but is generally an excellent feature for anyone to look for in a vacuum.

CONS
No ergonomic steering: This design is a little chunkier than the others on the list and doesn’t have improved steering mechanisms so is not as handy when maneuvering around furniture. It’s still very manageable, but if ease of steering is your top priority you should take this into account.

Doesn’t cope well with large debris: If you accidentally suck up something a bit bigger than you should have, there is a fair chance the pipe will clog. With normal debris, you shouldn’t have any problems, but it struggles with the more robust mess.

Awkward dustbin: Unlike other models with a simple lift-away canister, the Deluxe’s bin is tricky to take out and put back in. There is a screw you need to reach in and twist to release, and the same for re-installation.

Summary
The Bissell Cleanview Rewind Deluxe Upright Vacuum is easily one of the best retractable cord vacuum cleaners for under $200. The only real downside is the lack of steering functions, but if this doesn’t bother you, the durable and reliable performance will make vacuuming a breeze for years to come.

Bissell Cleanview Plus Rewind Vacuum

PROS
The price: Just like the Cleanview Rewind Deluxe, The Cleanview Plus Rewind is unbelievably good value for money.

All the bells and whistles: Bissell has packed this model full of features and functions to boost the cleaning performance. The multi-cyclonic power combined with a triple action brush roll has the suction power to clear debris quickly and effectively from a multitude of surfaces.

Various accessories: The Cleanview Plus includes a host of attachments, making it multifunctional and extremely practical.

Easy clean dustbin and filter: Where this model differs from the very similar Deluxe is the bin. The cartridge could not be easier to remove, clean, and replace and the same applies to the filter. The Cleanview Plus comes with washable filters which means they will be able to keep dirt air trapped more efficiently, for longer.

CONS
Pet hair: This vacuum struggles with pet hair and doesn’t come with a tool designed to combat the issue.

Slow cord retraction: The whole idea of a retractable cord is fast and easy clear up, but the cord on this model retracts slowly and may need a little assistance. It will still be much more simple than winding it up yourself, but you might need to lay it out straight and ease it in a little as it goes.

Summary
The Bissell Cleanview Plus Rewind Vacuum is arguably the best all-round machine on this list because of the perfect balance between performance, ease of use, and affordability. For homes with lots of pet hair, it’s not the most suitable option; but for generally high-quality reliable vacuuming priced under $200, this model is hard to beat.

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